Card index and receptacle.



UNITED STATES Patented November 32, 1904.

ArtNr @rtree CARD INDEX AND RECEPTACLE.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,696, dated November 22,1904.

Application filed December 22, 1903. Serial No. 186,249. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ 'wh/0m it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK DRAYTON BEL- KNAP, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York,- have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card Indexes and Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to indexed card-receptacles in general; and more specifically it consists of an improvedv arrangement of stencilcards in a box designed to conveniently,hold the same and disclose the localities of thedifferent classes of cards.

In a certain class of addressing-machines vast numbers of stenciled cards having the names and post-oiiice addresses of thousands of people cut therein are employed for rapidly addressing envelops and wrappers 'for the purpose of mailing letters and circulars to such persons. These cards should be handled as little as possible during these variousl operations, so as to avoid their destruction and also to avoid the disarrangement of their proper classification. For this reason it becomes important to provide for them a series of receptacles in which they may be stored and conveniently examined for correction, additions, and cancellation, and at the same time have such receptacles in such form that they may be inserted bodily in the addressing-machines to serve as magazines for the cards contained therein at the feeding end of the machine and receptacles for the lsame cards after they .have been put through the machine. 1 It is also necessary in certain classes of lists-as for instance, the subscriptionlists for newspapers and other periodicals-to have a simple and effective means of indexing the various cards according to the geographical localities of the addresses and the date of expiration of their subscriptions, &c., and this system of indexing must be such as will not interfere with the handling of the cards and their storage in the card-receptacle above described and shall have its indexing features visible while the cards are in the card-box and shall as far as possible dispense with projecting tags and other attachments to the card proper.

To accomplish the above result, I have invented ,a particular form of card-box having one side open, so as to show one edge of all the cards and also thediferent colors applied to the exposed edge of the card or to different sections thereof, which shall readily and at a glance disclose the location of any particular class of cards. With this also may be -used a small number of projecting tags attached to certain widely-separated cards to indicate the line of separation -between the larger and more general classes.

The preferred form of apparatus embodying my'inventin is illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective View of the cardbox with the cards therein. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the card-box with the cards removed, the retaining-lugs swung outward, and the end pieces shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the stencil-cards provided with a classifying-tag.

Throughout the drawings like referencetigures refer to like parts.

1 represents a strip of sheet metal bent up at the edges 2 and 3 to for-m a trough-shaped receptacle of substantially rectangular crossseotion. In this are placed the sliding end pieces 4 and 5. Each of the edges 2 and 3 is bent over at 2 and 3L to form along journalbearing for the rods 6 and 7, which have their projecting extremities bent at 'right angles, as shown at 8, 9, 10, and l1, which form swinging lugs which may be swung insidethe box to retain the end pieces and cards therein or' swung outward to permit the removal or feeding in or out of the same. These rods 6 and 7 are also preferably provided intermediate of their bent ends with projections l2 and 13, by which they may be vibrated through the necessary fraction of a revolution to produce the necessary movement of the swinging lugs. In this card-box are placed a series of stencilcards 14, each of which has a strengthened frame and an interior portion 15 of stencilpaper or similar material in which the name and post-office address of various persons are cut or perforated, as indicated in Fig. 3. Certain of these cards, as indicated, may have projecting tags 16, on which index-marks, such as the names of States, may be printed, as

shown. The corresponding edges of the other cards are marked along certain sections with particular colors determined by any adopted system of classification, as shown in Fig. 1. As there shown, six colors are arranged on the left-hand end of the card-box, as shown at 18 18, &c., to indicate six months of the year and the same colors arranged on the righthand end, as shown at 17 17, &c., to indicate the remaining six months of the year in accordance with the following system: Left hand: January, yellow; February, red; March, green; April, black; May, brown; June, pink. Right hand: July, yellow; August, red; September, green; October, black; November, brown; December, pink.

A modification of the invention might be produced by using color-marks of different lengths, but of the same color, to show further diiferentiation, as indicated at 19 19, and also color-marks may be inserted at intermediate points of the card length, as indicated at 20, to indicate further differentiation-such as exchange-lists, complimentary or deadhead lists, &c.

The method of use of my invention is evident from the foregoing description. When the cards are stored, they are left in the cardboxes, as indicated in Fig. 1, the lugs 8, 9, 10, and 11 being turned in to prevent the sliding end pieces from falling out and dropping the cards during handling of the card-boxes. If any particular card is to be removed because the subscription has run out, for instance, the operator can at once locate the same by irst looking for the tag bearing the name of the State and then for the color corresponding to the month in which the subscription expires. He can then by removing a comparatively small number of cards bearing the color-mark showing the class find the particular card with little difliculty and withdraw or replace the same. When the cards are being used in the addressing-machine, the lugs 8, 9, 10, and 11 are swung outward, as shown in Fig. 2, the lower sliding end piece is removed, and the card-box is used as a magazine from which the bottom cards are consecutively fed through the'machine.

the upper sliding end piece 4. removed, is placed at the other end of the machine to serve as a receptacle for the cards after they have been used. When the box is filled, it is put back on the storage-rack.

The advantages of the invention comprise the compactness and simplicity of the cardbox and itscontained cards, the readiness with which particular cards may be located limits.

similar box, empty, as shown in Fig. 2, with4 by means of their identifying-marks, and the avoidance of the use of tags except in very small number of cases. It is evident that if any considerable number of tags were used they would be brought so closely together as to cover one another up and also materially interfere with the manipulation of the cards, besides adding to the cost of manufacture and the liability to breakage by objects striking the projecting tags.

It is evident, of course, that various changes could be made in the details of construction illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. The arrangement of colors might be varied, and the length of the section of the card edge to which the color is applied might also be varied within wide All such modifications, however,

would readily occur to those ordinarily skilled A in the art wherever particular conditions had to be satisfied, and I should consider the same within the boundaries of my invention.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. A card-box comprising the combination of a metal strip bent up along the edges to form a trough of rectangular cross-section, end pieces tted into said trough and sliding4 therein, and retaining-lugs pivoted to the sides of the trough at the ends of the trough and swinging crosswise of said trough.

2. In a card-box the combination of a metal strip bent up at the sides to form a troughshaped receptacle of rectangular cross-section, 9

and metal rods journaled in the edges of said strip and extending lengthwise of the same, said rods having their projecting extremities bent at right angles to form swinging lugs adapted to form removable stops against movement of the cards lengthwise of the trough.

3. In a card-box the combination of a metal strip bent up at the sides to form a troughshaped receptacle of rectangular cross-section, and metal rods journaled in the edges of said strip and extending lengthwise of the same, said rods having their projecting extremities bent at right angles to form swinging lugs adapted to form removable stops against movement of the cards lengthwise of the trough,

each of said rods being provided intermediate of said bent extremities with projections by 4which it may be manipulated to swing its projecting end lugs. y

Signed at New York, N. Y., this 17th day of December, 1903.

FRANK DRAYTON BELKNAP. Witnesses:

PETER R. GATENs, F. R. BoT'r. 

